September 11, 2001, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in American history. As the 25‑year anniversary approaches, National Geographic, in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, is marking the occasion with a new documentary miniseries: 9/11: Reunited. The three‑episode series revisits the personal stories of several survivors of the terrorist attacks, with a twist: It reunites people whose paths crossed at that time to celebrate the bonds they formed 25 years ago.

Director Julian Jones was a producer on Nat Geo’s Emmy‑winning 2021 documentary miniseries 9/11: One Day in America. The experience inspired him to return to direct 9/11: Reunited. “What emerged for me… was a sense of people showing up for each other, a selflessness and everyday heroism,” Jones told Ars. He and the team wanted to bring people together to offer gratitude, answer unanswered questions, and remember fallen comrades.

The challenge was not to impose a story but to let it emerge organically. The team had vast archival footage. Selecting which to use required balancing the need to avoid sanitizing history with sensitivity to those whose loved ones were lost. They avoided showing the most gruesome images but chose material that reflected participants’ experiences.

Featured survivors include John Paczkowski, George Phoenix, and Jan Demczur, who together carved a hole in an elevator wall to escape the North Tower collapse. Debbie St. John, the first admitted to hospital after the second plane hit, was reunited with the bond trader Stefan Herlacher who saved her. Cmdr. Craig Powell and Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills, who led survivors through the Pentagon’s burning wreckage, also appear. FDNY Ladder 35 member Kevin Shea and paramedic Al Kim share their harrowing moments. Their stories show that the bonds forged on 9/11 remain unbroken.